Alpine snowboarders take top finishes at World Cup

Jewell, Wild place 5th, 6th

Steamboat Springs  Alpine snowboarders Tyler Jewell and Vic Wild, who have trained with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, raced to top finishes Friday at a World Cup parallel giant slalom in Limone Piemonte, Italy.

Jewell, who competed at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympic Games, and American teammate Vic Wild, who is training with the SSWSC, advanced to the quarterfinals before falling in the head-to-head format. Karl Benjamin led an Austrian sweep at the event, with teammates Andreas Prommegger taking second and Manuel Veith taking third.

Jewell was the top American in fifth, Wild was sixth and Steamboat snowboarder Michael Trapp just missed the qualifying cut in 23rd. Wild had the second-fastest time on the red course in qualification.

“I was pretty happy with the result today,” Wild said. “Also, I’m really stoked to see Tyler Jewell ride well. It’s just a matter of time until we are both on the podium.”

In the women’s competition, Russia swept the podium with Ekaterina Tudegesheva taking top honors. Lindsay Lloyd was the top American in 31st, and Madeline Wiencke, who trains with the SSWSC, was 35th.